BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 219 



parts are very distinctly banded transversely, and sometimes 

 this color predominates on the back; jilumage of the legs and 

 toes pure snowy white; bill and claws horn color; irides 

 yellow. 



Length (female), 26; wing, 17 to 19; tail, 10. 



Habitat. Northern portions of Northern Hemisphere. 



SURMA ULFLA CAPAROCH (Muller). (377a.) 

 AMERICAN HAWK OWL. 



I have never seen the Hawk Owl in the flesh more than once, 

 but I have found it mounted in the collections of local taxider- 

 mists many times since my residence in the State. It really 

 looks "more a hawk than an owl," but its habits of hunting in 

 the day-time — notably cloudy, gloomy days — makes it seem so 

 * more than do its looks. Its southern migration from its reputed 

 arctic home must be considerably into the winter, for all the 

 specimens I have known of having been taken have been well 

 on towards spring, and in March I believe, — possibly one in 

 early April, which is occasionally as much winter as is March. 



As it breeds in New England, it may do so here. Its food is 

 birds and mice principally. None have been reported to me 

 as having been seen later than early April, as already inti- 

 mated. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Wings rather long; first three quills incised on their inner 

 webs; tail long, with its central feathers a.bout two inches 

 longer than the outer tarsi, and toes densely feathered; upper 

 parts fuliginous-brown, with numerous partially concealed cir- 

 cular spots of white on the neck behind, scapulars and wing 

 coverts; face grayish white; throat white with longitudinal 

 stripes of dark brown; a large brown spot on each side of the 

 breast; other under parts with transverse lines or stripes of 

 pale ashy-brown; quills and tail brown, with transverse bands 

 of white; bill pale-yellowish; irides yellow; color of upper 

 parts darker on the head, and the white markings more or less 

 numerous in different specimens. 



Length (female), 16 to 17; wing, 9; tail, 7. 



Habitat, Arctic America. 



Note. — The Hawk Owl has come under my eye so often since 

 writing the foregoing, that I cannot regard it as really rare 

 any longer. I have met with them in November three times in 

 eight years, within seven miles of Minneapolis, and found sev- 

 eral in the taxidermists" collections during the same period. 



L. P. H. 



